


The Dragon and The Knight

by indigomountian



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M, Minor Character Death, Prince Dean, Prince Sam, dragon!dean, knight cas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-25
Updated: 2014-05-17
Packaged: 2018-01-16 22:45:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1364521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indigomountian/pseuds/indigomountian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The knight fought valiantly.<br/>He slayed the dragon.<br/>The princess cried for days.<br/>She loved that dragon."  - The stories fairytales don’t tell (via shy-fawn)</p><p>I saw this posted on Tumblr and wrote a story vaguely based off of it sorta kinda maybe. it defiantly gave me the idea though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Once upon a time, a young prince of fifteen was trapped in a tower, guarded by a huge golden dragon. The dragon is said to have teeth like knives, hooked and serrated, and talons the length of a mans forearm; though the only time anyone has seen it and lived is when it flew over head hunting its wings thirty feet across glint in the sunlight.  The prince was not always in this situation though; when he was very young, younger than he can remember, he had a mother and a father. They were, as you would expect with him being a prince, the king and queen.

But one night there was a terrible siege of the castle and a demon of a man had the King and Queen killed by sell swords. They would have killed the young prince and his older brother, the crowned prince and future ruler, too if not for the captain of The Kings Guard, a gruff intimidating but kind man, who fled with the boys out of the castle. They ran and ran until they found an abandoned tower still standing in the ruins of a castle of a long dead king.

There they hid, for they would never be safe. They would always be hunted because they had the only legitimate claim to the throne, and the demon that sat on the throne now feared that they would build an army and retake their kingdom. Rightfully so, because the people held no love for the false king, but he had just enough power and men to quell the small rebellions as they arose.

The dragon that guarded the young prince was ever watchful of the sell swords that still hunted them even after so many years, but the dragon had another problem as well. As he defeated more and more of the false king’s assassins word of the dragon keeping prince brothers captive spread far and wide. Knights, either loyal to the realms true rulers or ones who thought of rewards and bard songs of conquering dragon slayers, started trying to kill him.

What none of them knew, save for the captain of the Kings Guard, was that the golden dragon was not in fact a beast but a man who could change his form. It is a well kept secret that the Queens family is the descended from dragons, and thus able to turn into dragons themselves.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sams POV

Prince Samuel hated the fact that he had to stay in the tower, he knew why he must but that didn’t mean he had to like it. Dean got to touch the sky and he barely got to feel the grass on his feet. The fact that his brother could shift since he was thirteen yet he still could not was just cruel. Dean had told him that as soon as he could protect himself (meaning when he could change too) they would start planning to take back their kingdom, but until then he would have to stay where Dean could protect him.

            After getting bored with staring out at the forest full of trees he had never climbed beyond the fields he had never been able to run through he decided he would practice with his sword. He couldn’t change yet but at least he could do this. Once his brother got back from hunting they would train properly, sparing as Dean made corrections on his form. Bobby had taught Dean, and he had started teaching Sam too before… well before.

The day Dean had changed for the first time, the day they were forced to grow up even more than they already had. An image of Bobby laying on the ground, blood soaking through his clothes darkening the ground around him, as his heart continued to pump out the last of his lifeblood flashed behind Sams eyes. He'd relived that moment in his dreams for years, never able to stop it always frozen in his spot as Dean shredded a man to pieces in pointless revenge as Bobby gurgled and coughed. Dean digging a grave for Bobby with new claws, most of his scales anointed with the blood of his enemy and their surrogate father. The whole thing seamed more real when he relived it than when it actually happened, he had never thought they would have to live without Bobby. All he could think as he watched Dean bury him was, _'What now? What do we do without him?'_ Sam still didn’t like thinking about that day even though it had been six years, it would probably always hurt and make his eyes sting.

            He was drawn away from his dark thoughts by the flapping of wings. A moment later Dean popped inside wearing his brown leather pants but not bothering with a shirt. As usual he hadn’t bothered to wash before coming inside either so he was tracking blood with him because as he constantly said ‘screw shoes who needs ‘em?’

“Dean really, I wouldn’t care so much if you were the one who had to wash the floor. The very least you could do is wash your feet.”

“Sammy,” He was corrected with a quiet _‘Sam’_ , “I just hauled a two hundred pound deer back here, I don’t really care about bloody footprints right now. I’m bushed,” He flopped down of his crappy bed as if to make a point, groaning with relief as his muscles relaxed.

“Did you at least hang it?” Sam was hoping he had because while he was finally big enough to hang something that big he really didn't want to because, while Dean did always bring back food it was usually really messy large holes in it where he couldn't keep his nails from digging in.

“Yeah, it’s all taken care of just need to butcher it and smoke it l-“ He stopped mid word as his ears twitched, “Damn, gotta go check that out. Stay here and be ready, someone’s out there,” Dean huffed as he padded off, leaving yet another set of bloody footprints.


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deans POV

Definitely a knight judging by the clank of armor, there was the occasional wanderer that passed by not realizing quite where they were headed that were easily enough deterred. Sometimes Dean wondered why knights kept coming when none of them ever make it back, well none that actually saw the dragon at least. Occasionally he could convince them to leave without having to kill them, he always tried at least. He never much liked the idea of pointless bloodshed and after killing his first man he didn't want to kill again but to protect Sammy he would anyway. A sell sword wasn't distinguishable from a knight trying to be stupid and noble and even if they were the world still isn't safe for Sammy, not until he can change at least.

Waiting at the edge of the forest he heard the clanking get closer and closer until finally the knight could see him and stopped. The knight spent a long moment contemplating Dean before he kept moving, but then Dean was a strange sight at the moment, shirtless, shoeless, with bloody feet that had no scratches on them.

“You don’t want to go that way,” He spoke up. When he got a questioning look from the knight he kept going, “There’s a dragon that way.”

“I know, that’s why I’m going. But if there’s a dragon and you know it, why are you here?” he had a voice that sent shivers down your spine with how low it was. That question was new from a knight. It made him smirk, they usually didn’t care what he said, and that could be because he looked like a beggar or a thief, far too low to be giving them advice.

“The dragon only attacks you if you’re trying to get the prince.”

“You know an awful lot about this dragon,” He squinted at Dean as he spoke, possibly suspicious possibly just annoyed he was being kept from the dragon (and certain death).

“I live around here and people come to die at the talons of the dragon all the time. Why did you come to die?”

“I didn’t. I came to rescue the prince _s"_ he put extra emphasis on the plural. Dean had slipped and he knew it. He was the dragon that kept the _princes_ captive, not just one. He forgot that fact sometimes though.

“That dragon’s gonna rip you to shreds man. Why don’t you just turn back while you can before you go any further and it eats you.” Dean didn’t actually eat the men he killed but this guy didn’t need to know that.

“I can’t leave. The princes are needed to rule the kingdom, everything is crumbling and the people need a true king back on the throne.”

“There’s no swaying you is there?” The stony look told Dean no, which was too bad because the guy was gorgeous. A shame that eyes that blue will have to die, “Your funeral.”

As the knight marched on Dean heard another sound coming from a different side of the forest also headed for the meadow but, unlike the knight trampling and clanking through this one sounded more like a bear, large but not human. After a moment Dean drew further into the forest to change before going off the kill the stunning knight; silently praying that maybe he chickens out and runs off anyway


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiels POV

Making so much noise went against every instinct he had, but on he went, rustling his armor to make it louder. The tower was crumbling and not at all a place suitable for the princes of a kingdom, but they would soon be free of it if all went as planned. Although the plan was already a bit off track with the strange man that was wandering the forest.

Stepping out into the field Castiel drew his sword and scanned for the dragon. The only thing he saw at the moment were the wildflowers growing in the knee high grass and the tower, the dragon could hide on the other side Castiel reasoned, after he got about half way to the tower a shadow fell over him and he heard the beat of huge wings. _'Not hiding then,'_ he thought as he turned to face the creature and found that the stories were true; the scales were a bright gold that caught the sun and its jaws looked almost big enough to swallow a horse whole. If he were not in immense looming danger he would have stopped to marvel at the beast for it was truly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Instead he raised his sword ready to distract it and prayed that this worked how Gabriel said it would.

He struck out with his blade and connected with a wing catching at just the right angle to slice under the scales instead of bouncing off. The dragon roared at him more in aggravation than actual pain, it wasn’t more than a scratch on the shoulder of the wing but Castiel definitely had its full attention.

Before it could even swipe at him in retaliation with its sharp bloody nails it stopped flapping and fell to the ground with a sound that Castiel could only describe as confusion. Something was itching at the back of his mind, something not quite right, but he wasn’t sure what. Before he could think of what it could be Gabriel was next to him. Castiel's not sure where he'd been hiding but then again he was never sure of anything when it came to the sorcerer.

“Well, go ahead. This is your part,” He urged, “the spell won’t last forever,” Nodding Castiel stepped closer to the magnificent beast that he was about to murder. As he raised his blade he heard a voice shouting at him and feet running. Turning he saw a shaggy teen barreling towards them.

“No! Stop, please stop!” He shouted as he came. He kept right on running until he was between Castiel and the dragon, showing no fear of the creature that could chew him to bits or swallow him whole, “You can’t.”

The dragon growled low in response and struggled against invisible bonds.

“Boy get away, the spell won’t last much longer. If he doesn’t kill it now we’ll likely all be eaten,” Gabriel said, not at all happy about the prospect of being eaten.

Behind the tall teenager the other two could see the dragons head break free, both were sure the kid was a goner when it reached forward with amazing speed, far quicker than Castiel as he reached to pull the boy from danger. They were shocked when instead of clamping down on a limb or even the whole of the boy it grabbed him by the loose shirt he was wearing and pulled him in close before snarling at the men before it. All at once it clicked in Castiel head that the man in the forest was not there accidentally, the strange smears of blood on his toes matching the claws of the dragon. The fact that he said the dragon was guarding only one prince had made him suspicious and the boy standing with the dragon was the right age to be the youngest prince.

“Now Castiel! before it’s too late,” Gabriel urged.

“I can’t’,” he heard a disbelieving exclamation but he continued anyway, “If I were to kill the dragon that would mean killing the crowned prince of Laurence. Isn’t that right Prince Samuel?” He locked eyes with the teen clutching at the dragons neck. Castiel turned his attention back to the dragon _'no Prince Dean'_ he corrected in his head, “What do you say I have Gabriel take the spell off you so we can talk? It is very urgent business I assure you, we would not have risked it otherwise… that is, as long as you can agree not to 'rip us to shreds or eat us' us,” he quoted what he had been told in the forest.

After a moment of what was probably meant to be a dirty look about the air quotes the golden dragon gave a nod of its enormous head its great green eyes matching his stare.

“Set him free Gabriel.”

“Are you sure about this?” He glared back in response, “If you get me killed I’ll never forgive you.” And with that he released the spell. There were a few seconds where Castiel though he had been terribly foolish to put his trust in the half naked man that was currently a giant lizard bird hybrid. His fear was laid to rest when, right before them, the dragon transformed back to the half naked man. Well in truth now he was a wholly naked man, and not a bad one at that.


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sams POV

The scratch that the knight, Castiel they had learned, had managed to land on Dean was already gone, a crust of blood and a silver line across his left shoulder the only evidence that it had been there at all. After a staring match between Dean and the knight they had come back to the tower although Dean was going to pout for a good long while it seemed; at least he put on some pants before he sat down. Occasionally Dean forgot simple things like modesty and manners.

Sam stoked the fire while their… guests? sat at two of the logs they used as chairs. They’d never had guests before this, but he had read enough to know that he should offer them food and drink. Castiel declined but the other one, Gabriel he was informed with a deep showy bow, asked if they had any sweets. Sam inquired if apples counted as sweets and the way Gabriels face fell obviously meant that they did not.

“So, what is it that was so important that you had to come ‘save’ the princes?” Dean asked putting air quotes of his own around the word save.

“Your kingdom needs you, it needs a true ruler. Azazel is growing crueler with age and people are dying for it. Something _must_ be done. We have started gathering soldiers and knights to form an army in secret waiting for the moment to strike, but we cannot without someone to put into power, someone to lead us.” He seemed very passionate, his gaze never wavering from Dean.

“What makes you think that this attack is going to go any better than all of the others that have been waged against him? Do you have better planning, more men, better men, or is it just going to be different this time because you say it is? Did you go and beg another kingdom to lend auxiliaries? If they’ll never leave; they would claim the land for their own masters. Maybe you found someone with deep pockets that slipped Azazels initial slaughter to fund this army with your own mercenaries. The moment they saw any chance of defeat they would run, or betray you,” Dean got up from his spot by the fire to get right up in Castiels face, “Or have you been training farmers and craftsmen to be in this army of yours? You’ll get them killed and then the country will starve and whither,” Dean seamed right and truly livid at that idea.

“We have been training farmers, but the larger part of our forces is made of knight’s sons and those who have suffered the most from Azazels reign.”

“Yeah, but what’s going to make this time any different?” Sam chimed in. He was already excited about the thought of going out and actually seeing the kingdom, meeting the people.

“This time you have people like me,” Gabriel was staring at his hands with more focus than Sam had seen him use on anything else yet. He nearly jumped when between one blink and the next there was something round in Gabriel's hand, Sam wasn’t positive what it was but it looked sticky.

“And people like you being?” Sam prompted him, though whatever he said in response was lost because he popped the ball into his mouth before he spoke and his words were incomprehensible.

“Gabriel is a sorcerer, and for what he lacks in manners,” Castiel gave him a glare to show he was unhappy with how the man was conducting himself, “he makes up for in power. You saw a bit of it earlier when he bound Dean.”

“Yeah, cute trick that,” Dean wasn’t happy for the reminder it seemed, “But look, there’s a reason we’re still here. I’m not going anywhere until I’m sure I don’t have to worry about my brother. Until he can change and defend himself we’re staying put.” _‘There goes seeing the kingdom,’_ Sam thought because once Dean made up his mind that was it.

“You’re worried about Azazels men finding you. Surely meeting them here would be just as dangerous as meeting them in any other place. What would the difference be? If anything you would be safer, surrounded by men allied to you.”

“Not true. Here I know everyone; here I know when danger is coming. I heard you when you first started clanking through the forest, I heard him too but I wrote it off which was in retrospect a stupid mistake. In the middle of a camp I would never know if that person creeping by our tent is a friend coming to see us, a drunk trying to find his own tent or someone coming to slit our throats while we sleep.”

“Dean, you can’t protect me forever, and besides I can protect myself even if I can’t change yet I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“Stay out of this Sammy, it’s not your call,” Dean was barely even acknowledge him, too involved in the staring match he was having. Sam was starting to question if Castiel actually ever blinked.

“No, Dean. Not this time. Even if you’re not going with them I will.”

“And what good will that do them! You’re not next in line!” he was shouting but he wouldn’t break eye contact, determined to win for all the good it would do. Sam had had enough; he physically put himself in front of his brother, forcing him to break eye contact.

“Dean, we’re going. I’ve never been further than thirty feet from this tower, I’m leaving. You can come or not, that’s your choice,” he knew what Deans answer would be, he’d never let sam out of his sight longer than he had to.

“Fine,” he threw his arms up and stalked over to his bed, “but we’re not leaving until tomorrow!” He then turned his back on everyone, Sam wasn’t sure he was actually going to sleep with strangers near them or if he was just pretending. It didn’t matter though Sam had won they were going to travel see thing for real as opposed to in books, they were going to get their kingdom back.


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deans POV

He stayed in the same position all night, listening to the sounds of the sorcerer and the knight as they planned for the next day’s travels. Eventually they went to sleep but Dean wasn’t going to let his guard down, he would stay vigilant until they were safe in their tower again. He thought about all this right up until the moment he fell asleep.

When Dean came back to consciousness it was mid morning and he could hear meat hissing in their frying pan. There was a low conversation between Sammy and in his sleepy haze Dean came to the conclusion that it must be Bobby, who else would it be. After a second the world caught up to him and his blood froze in his veins. There were strangers in their tower; he had left Sammy unguarded with strange men. All at once Dean was out of bed and inspecting his brother for any harm that may have come to him while Dean’s guard was down.

There wasn’t anything physically wrong with brother, but a lot could have happened in four hours. Sam seemed exasperated, like he had hoped Dean would have calmed down by now but wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t. Once Sammy was assured to be well Dean took a look around and found that they had not lost either of their guests, in fact the only things different from last night were the pack sitting by the door and the various objects that were missing from their usual places. Sammy was really serious about this Dean realized.

Resigned, Dean started packing his own essentials; he didn’t bother with blankets or his beaten pillow, instead he packed the four pairs of pants that he owned, (not including the ones he was wearing or the pair he had left in the forest yesterday, they’d have to stop for them) his two shirts, an old warn copy of Machiavelli’s The Prince, mostly he filled it with as much dried meat as he could fit.

He did however take care to get his mothers leather bound journal from under his mattress and wrap it in linen before adding that to his pack too, it was the only thing that he took with him when they fled the castle. He’d been up late looking at the drawings his mother had put in here and there, one of his favorite pastimes when he was young. Mostly it was about their lineage on their mother’s side and filled with everything she knew about her kind, which was good because if not for that book he would have only had the most rudimentary understanding of dragons. The sketches that had so entranced Dean as a child were of his maternal grandfather and his uncles in their changed states; one was even of his mother. She was a beautiful dragon if her own sketch was anything to go by, Dean had only seen her change once that he could remember.

“I still don’t like this,” Dean said to a room that didn’t want to listen to him. After he tied his water skins to the side of his pack he sat by the fire to eat. When Sam threw yet another venison stake into the cast iron pan Castile’s eyes widened a bit.

“Surely you are making too much food, Gabriel and I are nearly done and there is still a large stake left,” Sammy smirked as he turned the stake over to sear the other side.

“That one’s mine,” he gestured to the one on the plate, “This one and the next two or three are Deans,” Sammy always cooked Deans stakes just right barely at all.

“That’s not done,” Castiel didn’t seem to get the fact that Sam knew what he was doing in this respect. Cutting off a large chunk Dean stuck it in his mouth to prove the point, because the stake _was_ cooked just right. Some juice escaped his mouth and ran down his chin; seeing the perfect opportunity to freak everyone out Dean concentrated on his tongue, focusing on elongating it without enlarging it. He could change any part of himself if he was conscious enough of it, very useful in some cases, like if he needed claws or night vision (also to mess with Sammy in instances like this). He slid the forked tongue out of his mouth and tracked the line of juice all the way down to his collar bone before looking up to smirk at Castiel. In return the knight turned pink but didn’t seem to be able to look away. Dean flicked his tongue at him before retracting it again and changing it back.

“Dean, really? It’s not like we have napkins or anything,” Sammy had a bitchface on as he threw said napkin at Dean’s head. He caught it easily and wiped the spit off his neck and chin, he had thought it was funny.

“Hey, how do you talk with a tongue like that? How do you not bite it all the time?” Gabriel at least didn’t look as if he were offended by Dean’s joke, unlike Sam. He stuck his tongue out again in answer, showing the normal rounded short tongue, “Oh, well that’s cool. Isn’t that cool Cassie?”

Dean looked back at the man again only to find him looking rather uncomfortable, the same pink blush went all the way down to the neck of his shirt, and probably further if Dean ventured to look. _‘Not a bad way to spend my time’_ Dean thought, imagining stripping the knight to see just how far down the blush went.

After his fourth stake Dean was finally full, though he was getting worried stares from Castiel and Gabriel, “Guess you weren’t kidding about two or three more, huh?” Gabriel stuck another one of those gooey balls into his mouth again so it came out more like ‘guressh yerr weren’t kinnin awao sue or thwree moue, huh’

“Prince Dean, how did you manage to fit that much food in your stomach?” Castiels earlier blush was gone now, which in Deans opinion was a shame because it looked damn good on him.

“First of all, just Dean is fine. And it’s easy I can turn into a giant dragon, if that doesn’t take a lot of energy then I don’t know what would,” Castiel appeared surprised.

“Thank you; it’s a great honor… Dean.” Now it was Deans turn to blush, his name sounded good on Castiel’s lips. It helped that he had said it with a little upturn at the corners of his mouth, those shocking blue staring into his soul.

“Uh? Yeah sure,” Dean just stared for a moment; he seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Maybe it was just because he’d lost interest in staring at Sammy years ago so he never noticed it was something he did.

“So,” Sammy interrupted his contemplation of his habits, “When are we going to leave? How far are we going?”

“We can leave now if you’re ready,” Castiel was staring at Dean again deep in his own thoughts, “It’s a few days walk from here if we make good time and don’t run into any trouble.” With that they put out the cooking fire and dunked the pan to cool it quicker before Dean shoved that in his pack too.


	7. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiels POV

They traveled all day and well into the evening until it was too dark to see the rocks that seemed to come out of nowhere. Castiel noticed that, unlike everyone else, Dean was still having no trouble navigating through the forests. When they finally settled down for the night Castiel started to make a pit for a fire when Dean stopped him.

“What are you doing? You can’t make a fire in these woods; you’ll get every creature with the munchies for men down of us before you get embers in your fire.”

“He’s right Cassie; we should probably have take turns keeping watch too. I for one don’t want to wake up in something's belly,” Gabriel looked mostly serious so Castiel gave up on it.

“Fine,” This was going to be a long cold trip; at least they had dried meat, unlike Dean Castiel didn't see raw meat as an option. He turned to say something to Dean but the words died on his lips because he was suddenly faced with a wonderful view of the prince’s bare ass. For unimaginable reasons Dean was disrobing; well, the reasons may not have been unimaginable but in that moment Castiel’s brain wasn’t thinking about much other than the fact than the crowned prince was naked (and gorgeous) in front of him, again. The thoughts in his head were nowhere close to clean no matter how hard he tried, the possibilities were seemingly endless.

“There’s no need to keep a watch. I’m a light sleeper and I have excellent hearing as especially when I change; besides not much would think about attacking so near to a dragon.” Then Castiel watched as he changed into that magnificent dragon, Deans tail bone extending and the notches of his spine moving with it to form the tail. His arms stretched out and his fingers elongated and webbed, the nails coming to sharp points. He was balancing on his wrists as his feet shifted and rotated so the smallest and larges toe were behind his ankle, like an owl with an extra toe. His neck extended and scales started to appear over his skin; this was absolutely amazing to watch, in the space of two minutes Dean had turned into that golden dragon. The only feature that still looked like Dean were the eyes but they were even changed as they flashed and reflected the light of the moon _‘like a wolf’_ Castiel thought. He was fairly sure he had seen Dean’s eyes flash like that a few times that evening though, that was probably why he hadn’t been stumbling like everyone else.

Dean settled down on his scaly stomach next to where Sam had put his blankets and laid down. His massive wing coming down over Sam, he looked like a lean to made out of dragon. Dean’s head came up to rest between his shoulder blades and just like that the two princes looked asleep. Gabriel was leaning against a tree not far away with his mouth open in a silent snore, but then he could sleep standing, Castiel had even seen it. Resigned Castiel set out his bedroll to attempt sleep.

After an hour he gave up, he couldn’t feel his fingers it was so cold. The last of the late spring frost could be seen on the small flowers at the base of Gabriel’s tree. Sam seemed warm under Dean’s wing and Dean didn’t seem to be affected by temperature, in fact before they had left he had picked up the hot skillet with his bare hand and dunked it in a basin of water near the door where it promptly sizzled, sputtered, and steamed until it was cool. Castiel wondered if Dean would let him sleep under his other wing, there was no harm in asking right?

Clutching his bed roll Castiel crept to Dean’s side, “Dean… Dean,” he whispered up at the dragons head. After a moment one reflective green eye opened past two sets of lids to look at him, “umm, I was wondering, well,” this was a terrible idea. He had woken the prince up, that was rude. Castiel started rambling in his own head but continued his sentence when Dean moved his head down to be at eye level, “I was… was wondering if I might be able to- if I could sleep next to you too. It’s too cold and I can't get to sleep but I’ll just go back over there if it’s not”

Dean just rolled his glowing eye and stretched his wing out for the stuttering knight before returning his head to between his shoulders and wiggling back into a comfortable position. Castiel spread his mat out under the wing and laid down again, it was at once warmer for Dean seemed to radiate heat, “Thank you, Dean,” he heard a click that sounded like Dean knocking his chin against his back in a nod.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiels POV

Castiel woke up under a comfortable warm weight; he was momentarily confused before he remembered where he went to sleep. Upon opening his eyes Castiel found the large golden scales shining in the early morning sun, he took the chance to run his hands across some and found they were smoother than river rocks. Apparently Dean could feel even that slight touch because he lifted his head from his back and removed his wing from on top of Castiel. Taking it as his sign to move Castiel took his bed roll and left deans side if a bit unwillingly.

Dean stretched his wings up and back then his neck before changing back. Castiel couldn’t look away, both do to the fact that it was amazing to watch him change and also, if he was being honest with himself, because Dean was going to be naked. He looked away blushing but not before an eyeful.

“Morning Cas,” Dean, it seemed was a morning person, “you sleep well?” 

“Uh, yes. Very, thank you.” Castiel was staring again, this time openly as Dean bent down away from him to get his pants from his bag, “I hope I didn’t wake you, I hadn’t meant to.”

“Oh I’ve been up for hours. I don’t need to sleep much; I was just waiting for you to get up. Sam he could sleep though a thunderstorm but I wasn’t sure about you and I wouldn’t want you to be tired all day,” Dean gave him a smile as he jumped and wriggled into his brown leather pants, “I’m going to go fill our water skins while we have the chance. I hear a river over there,” he pointed but Castiel couldn’t hear anything except the birds and Gabriel’s light snoring.

“Ok, but uh… before, you called me Cas?”

“Well yeah, unless you don’t like it. Your name’s kind of long.”

“No it’s fine,” Castiel was in fact very happy with the fact Dean was comfortable enough with him to give him a nickname. 

“Oh, and Cas. There’s dried venison in my bag feel free to find it,” He smiled again as he loped off will all of the water skins.

Castiel did just that, he found the meat in the bag but he also found something far more interesting. There was a book wrapped in linen, he took it out as he worked on chewing his meat. It was leather bound with a symbol pressed on the cover; Castiel thought it might be that of the queen’s family. Opening it gingerly he found very small elegant script across the pages with a sketch on the second page. He turned page after page and found drawings of dragons or parts of dragons sometimes they were partially changed. It was all very interesting and after he saw all of the pictures he turned back to the first page to read.

_I have taken up the task of writing down all I have learned of my great family gift and my heritage, for you John. I do so because I truly love all of you and wish for you to love all of me in return._

_I shall start with our gift to change because I am sure that is what you wish to know about the most. The bloodline of the Campbell family has carried dragons since the first of our clan Samuel Campbell; there have been six in our line named after him, one of which is my father. All in our bloodline have had the gift so any children I have will also be able to change._

_The change its self is a matter of concentrating on the body and imagining the feeling of the change. This may not be terribly helpful to you if you were to imagine changing but, there is no good way to explain to a turtle the theory of tree climbing. As I have seen through my own siblings there is no true way to determine what a dragon will look like until they first change, for every dragon looks unique. For instance Tomas was bright red with a smattering of black on his underside while Gregor, his twin, was a silver dragon with a line of spikes down his spine and a large bunching on his tail. The differences in each dragon are immense though I do believe the personality is usually complemented by the change. Using Tomas and Gregor again, Tomas was always very bold and–_

The book was pulled out of Castiel’s hands by a very red faced angry looking Dean, “What the hell do you think you were doing?” He seemed to have only just contained his anger as he spoke through his teeth instead of shouting.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t,” Dean raised his hand and cut Castiel off in his apology.

“Just don’t touch it again. It’s literally all I have of my mom,” The anger seamed to drain out of Dean to be replaced with sadness as his shoulders slumped and he gently rewrapped the book. Dean got up and went over to his younger brother who was still sleeping and kicked him awake, not hard but not terribly soft either. Gabriel woke up to the brothers shouting at each other. Once they were finished with their disagreement on the proper way of awakening someone they sat down to eat. 

“Dean, I would like to apologize again ab-“

“Cas, it’s fine let’s just stop talking about it. Ok?” Castiel nodded seeing he would get nowhere with that. 

“May I ask a question?” After a huff Dean nodded and gave Castiel his attention, “How is it that if the ability to change comes from your bloodline no one knows that about it? Surely if people knew then they would be able to figure out that you were the dragon that guarded the princes.”

“Well, from what I know my grandfather didn’t trust anyone that wasn’t blood so he never told anyone, my grandmother was also a dragon and she obviously knew, and because he never told anyone I guess my mother and the rest of their children kept it quiet too,” It was quiet then until they set off for that days march.


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, i get easily diverted and for some reason i just didn't want to write this chapter particularly. i am very excited about writing other parts of this story though. i promise i haven't forgotten about this.
> 
> Deans POV

Cas had said that it was another two days walk from where they were, but with how slow Gabriel meandered Dean guessed it would probably be more like three or four. Not that Dean was on any kind of schedule but there was no need to stop as often as they did; nor was there a reason for half of the innuendos that Gabriel made, but he made them anyway. By the time the sun was half way across the sky they had stopped on three separate occasions for the man to randomly look at things, not particularly interesting things either. Once it was a rock that looked like all of the other rocks around it, another time it was because there was a hole in the canopy of the forest and he wanted to watch the clouds, the third time it was because he had a rock in his shoe and when he took it off to get it out he couldn’t find it so he had to search until he did. Everyone was annoyed with Gabriel at this point; even Sam, who was happy just with the fact that they were somewhere new, was almost ready to kill him or at least give it the good old collage try.  
Not long after the forth stop, for who know what, there was a feminine scream from not far off and, though only Dean heard this, the sounds of a struggle. Dean and Castiel ran towards the scream thinking to help the woman in distress when Gabriel tried to stop them.  
“It’s none of our business. let’s keep going,” Sure now he wants to keep moving, the onetime there’s an actual reason to stop.  
“Like hell it’s not!” Dean shouted as he ran off into the woods, not realizing that he was leaving Cas in the dust. When he finds the source of the screaming, not to difficult with all the noise they’re making, he sees a large black ma grappling with a petite red head and though she’s putting up one hell of a fight was clearly outmatched. She kicked and bit and scratched with all her might but he was easily three times her size, “Hey, what the hell’s going on?”  
“I am attempting to bring this rebel sympathizer in so she can stand trial. Come help me restrain her, she must be arrested,” the man made it much easier to pick sides, clearly stating his allegiance like that.  
“It’s too bad for you then,” he says, advancing before anything could be done about it and laying a staggering punch to that man’s face. The look of shock and indignation at being struck almost made Dean laugh. The man shoved the girl to the side so he could draw his sword but Dean was faster, even without considering the fact that the man was flatfooted with his surprise. The girl hit the ground with a soft thump and scooted out of the way and the men fought. Dean had him flat on his back with a cracked rib or two and a bloody nose before there was even a cry of outrage. Dean crushed his larynx with his foot, still bare and dirty because who really needs shoes when you’ve got that many calluses… and dragon skin.  
“I take it you aren’t loyal to Azazel then?” the girl, a woman really, with wide grey eyes asked. She was wearing men’s britches and a light blue long sleeved shirt with a dark purple vest that laced up the front. Interesting apparel for a woman, dean noted.  
“I would imagine not. Dean Winchester, momentarily at your service,” She just laughed and laughed clutching at her sides. That was about the time Castiel and the others finally caught up, and what a sight that must have been; The pretty red head laughing her head off, Deans hands and one foot covered in blood standing next to a large dead man.  
“Dean, really? Now we have to dig a grave before we go. It’ll take forever,” Sams bitch face so normal that he just ignored it, cas’ however was new and interesting though he looked just as annoyed at the prospect. It figures they would be more interested in the body that dean would deal with than anything else that had just occurred.  
“Relax princess, I’ll just take the body and drop it somewhere else,” Like Dean ever had or ever would take the time to dig a grave for some dick of Azazel’s.  
“Wait, you weren’t kidding? But I thought the princes were locked up somewhere, guarded by a dragon,” She was at full attention now, maybe hoping to hear how he escaped the dragon. Dean just smirked, even though he didn’t have many chances to show off he loved to take them where he could. He stepped back, (turned around because he did have some sense of decency, she was a chick even if she was wearing men’s clothing) took off his pants, and changed so he could carry off the body. Instead of the scream he thought he might get there was a high squeak and a bouncing girl in front of him looking way too excited for the fact that there was a giant dragon in her line of sight. Dean decided immediately that he liked her.  
The body was heavy, not more than he could handle but close. Once he had taken it to the large river that was still closer that it should have been after a day’s walking (thank you Gabriel) his arms -or wings in this moment- were burning with the strain. They were going to be sore for a while after this. It was the rivers problem now he thought as he let go of the body. The fly back was far more pleasant than the one there, and when he landed the girl was just as enthusiastic as she had been when he’d left… what a strange awesome person.


End file.
